What It's Like Inside a Chinese Internet Rehab Center

Internet addiction might seem like a pseudo condition, but in China it's treated as a very real and very serious illness. Since 2010, it has been identified as a leading health concern among the country's youth and they're attempting to help junkies through internet rehab centers. The New York Times investigated one such facility and it's pretty harsh looking—more like a bootcamp from your nightmares than some sort of rehab center. Patients are treated through medication, therapy and what appears to be a very healthy dose of forced exercise.

Before you start to question your own internet habits, calm down. The teens sent to this camp are in serious need of assistance. Several patients interviewed mentioned spending days in internet cafes playing video games. The camp director even cited cases where patients would wear diapers, for fear that going to the bathroom would hinder their performance. As you might imagine, the teens in the center are frustrated and depressed at their situation, yet some deny they were addicted at all. And of course they would, an addict often has trouble admitting addiction, which is a very complicated condition.

You may be far from spending days playing video games online, but let this serve as an important reminder that you should make conscious efforts to disconnect. The internet, with all of its Netflix, Reddit, Youtube and of course, porn, is an extremely addictive and isolating place. Though you may leave your computer, you'll carry it with you on your phone, you'll be plagued by the red light of your blackberry and haunted by the urge to instagram. So just take a breather every now and then.